Blu-ray Review: Gags The Clown

Gags The Clown is a horror film about a city obsessed with, and then terrified by, the presence of a silent and strange clown named Gags, who carries black balloons that contain a mysterious powder. It is also one of those so-called “found footage” films. I thought we were done with those, but we’re not. It suffers from the same drawbacks that nearly all found footage films suffer from – shaky camera work, lame dialogue, unlikable characters, and a conceit that at the best of times seems seriously forced, that being that people would continue to film everything even when in danger. Now this film handles some of those issues well by making certain key characters reporters, podcast folks and camera men. And it is a movie that gets better as it goes, with its final twenty minutes or so being the best section of the film. But there is a lot you have to work through to get there. The Blu-ray release contains plenty of bonus material.

The film begins with some black and white footage from various security cameras in a section of Green Bay, Wisconsin, and soon takes us inside a parking garage. We are introduced to three people who are heading back to their car, which is now filled with black balloons. The footage at this point is taken from the cell phone of one of them, which immediately begs the question, Why is this guy filming them walking to their car? Soon they see a guy dressed as a clown holding a black balloon. Creeped out, they begin to drive away, and for some reason the one guy keeps filming everything with his phone, and you can’t help but think, Put your damn phone away, you obnoxious prick. But then there wouldn’t be a movie, would there? Anyway, one of them begins coughing up blood and soon, it seems, they are all dead. Or at least one of them is.

We then meet Heather Duprey (Lauren Ashley Carter), a news reporter on the scene. Not the scene of the murder, mind you, but the scene of some people gathered at another location hoping to catch a glimpse of the clown. Word of the murder has not yet leaked, but apparently there is nothing to do in Green Bay when football season is over, and so they are excited at the possibility of seeing a clown. While the reporter is working, some young folks drive by, and the girl in the passenger’s seat is filming herself and her boyfriend, who is driving. Because that’s what people do nowadays. She also films her friend who is dressed as a clown in the back seat. Too bad they didn’t stop; he would have been an instant sensation with that crowd outside. Later these idiots decide to scare people themselves, so we have footage of them doing that for a while.

In addition, we have some police officers who are equipped with body cameras and cameras in their car. The problem is that when the cops draw weapons, because we are seeing the scene from their body cameras, the footage looks like one of those first-person shooter video games. And who wants to watch that? Yet, the police stuff is probably the most interesting material, at least for a while. And we have a conservative podcast guy, who can’t stop talking about the clown. Remember, the murders have not been made public (or perhaps even discovered at this point), so all the hubbub is just about the appearance of a silent clown on the city’s streets. Yet the news reporter promises regular updates, and the podcast guy dedicates his entire show and all his ire to the clown, eventually deciding to hunt the guy down himself. These people are fucking weird. And why does the reporter’s vehicle have three cameras aimed at them while they drive? Seriously, we get a two-shot and two singles of the reporter and her camera man. That is absurd.

The first truly interesting moment of the film is cut short. A police officer goes to investigate a vehicle that is stopped in the middle of the road. The person in the driver’s seat is dressed as a clown, but is unresponsive. The officer goes back to his car to report what is happening, and suddenly the driver gets out of the car. It’s a wonderfully creepy and suspenseful moment. But for some reason, the film cuts back to the podcast guy, and we never go back to that car, which is irritating. There is another element that is interesting, but quickly abandoned, that being the shop owner who has an old photo of the clown and who might be able to shed some light on his history were he taken seriously by the reporter. There are several other good things, however. I love that cute moment when a distraught clown is interviewed about her job being put in jeopardy because of Gags. I also love the moment when a clown the police killed suddenly stands up. That is a nice, creepy shot. And all the stuff about self-mutilation is great. I also love that the conservative podcast guy ends up being reasonable, at least for a time. He doesn’t shoot the clown when he sees him, later telling his psychotic assistant: “I can’t just kill a guy, Wayne, okay? You do understand that, right? It could have been anybody under that mask.” It’s an excellent and honest moment, and also works as a bit of foreshadowing. As I mentioned, this is a movie that gets better as it goes, and the last section of the film does get suspenseful, scary, creative and even intense. And the ending is quite good and satisfying.

There is, however, another question inherent in these “found footage” movies: Who found and assembled the footage? That question usually leads to several other questions. In this film, for example, we have to wonder why whoever supposedly found all this footage would bother showing us the shots of the reporter on the phone with her boss and then her being upset at being reassigned. Likewise, why would this person include a shot of the camera man getting upset about finding cream in his coffee? Why does the person bother to hunt down footage of people in a bar watching the news? That brings us to another problem with “found footage” films, that being all those perfectly placed security cameras which happen to capture the action. Honestly, one truly frightening aspect of this movie is all those cameras everywhere. There is just no privacy anymore.

Special Features

This Blu-ray release contains a lot of bonus material, including a commentary track by director Adam Krause and producer/editor John Pata. They talk about how the film began as a short film and a marketing stunt, that they initially had no intention of making it a feature film. Real news stations fell for the marketing ploy, and so there was actual news footage about Gags; unfortunately, the filmmakers weren’t able to use that footage in this film. Interestingly, the police car they use in the film was an actual Green Bay city police department car. They also talk about the casting, and how two actors had to pull out just before they started filming. It is interesting how the concept of the balloon room near the end changed due to the budget.

The original short film is included. Like the feature-length film, it takes place over the course of one night, and is “found footage,” with a title card at the beginning saying “It was obtained from an anonymous source within the Green Bay Police Department.” It is approximately sixteen minutes. There are also two commentary tracks for the short film, both done by Adam Krause and Eric Heuvelman.

Everybody Loves A Clown: The Making Of Gags The Clown contains interviews with cast members Lauren Ashley Carter, Aaron Christensen, Tracy Perez, Evan Gamble, Jake Martin, Michael Gideon Sherry, Halley Sharp, and Squall Charlson. They talk about hearing of the marketing stunt (except one cast member, who hadn’t heard of it before getting cast in the feature film), about their experience on the set, and give their takes on the found footage aspect of the film. This featurette also includes several still photos from the production, while that delightful theme song plays. This is approximately eighteen and a half minutes. Gags: Terror Surrounds You is a short piece in which a guy visits a location where Gags has been seen, and is done in the “found footage” style. It was written and directed by Bradley Scott Sullivan, and is approximately nine and a half minutes.

The special features also include footage from the Wisconsin premiere of the movie, a storyboard comparison of the film’s final scene, a piece showing how the visual effects were added to various shots, some footage of Lauren Ashley Carter and Wyatt Kuether improvising dialogue, a gag reel, and the film’s trailer.

Gags The Clown was directed by Adam Krause, and was released on Blu-ray on December 17, 2019 through Dopplegänger Releasing.

Blu-ray Review: Mind Games

Mind Games is a psychological thriller about a married couple who go on a road trip through northern California with their son in an effort to save their marriage. Things take a darker turn when a backpacker entangles himself in their lives. The film stars Maxwell Caulfield (yes, from Grease 2) as the hitchhiker, Edward Albert (Butterflies Are Free) as Dana, Shawn Weatherly as Rita, and Matt Norero as their son Kevin. It was directed by Bob Yari, who would go on to some success as a producer. The film has now been released on Blu-ray as part of the MVD Rewind Collection, complete with bonus material.

When the film opens, it is morning on an ordinary suburban street, and a child retrieves the newspaper, clearly happy to see the RV parked in the driveway. Soon he and his father are loading the vehicle with fishing poles and other stuff, while his mother is inside, appearing sad and troubled about something. And then they are on the road, traveling north along the coast of California, this opening sequence done without any dialogue. When they reach the campground, Kevin goes off by himself. It is daylight, and with the sunlight playing on the trees and the sounds of the birds, the film at this point has a cheerful vibe. Everything feels safe. Everything feels normal. It is then that Kevin runs into Eric (Maxwell Caulfield), which will change everything for the family. Kevin brings his new friend back to their campsite, and his parents invite the man to join them for dinner. Eric reveals he is studying abnormal psychology. Dana invites Eric to join the family on their drive north, which, as you can gather from her expression, bothers Rita. Eric turns down the offer, and we see him at his own campsite at night, writing in his journal. But, it turns out, his campsite is not at all far from the family’s site, and that shot as he looks up to see the RV is really the first hint that something is not right. It’s a wonderfully creepy and unsettling moment.

In the morning, Eric waits for the RV to exit the campground, and then steps out of the woods, knowing the family will offer to give him a ride. And though Rita says “I wish you wouldn’t,” Dana stops the vehicle to pick him up. I love how this little moment reveals so much about Dana and Rita’s relationship, and their dynamic, revealing at least some of what has upset Rita from the start. It also puts the viewer firmly on the side of Rita, who seems to be able to sense trouble. Now, that will change over the course of the film, but it is interesting that at the start the filmmakers have us side with Rita. At one point, she even directly asks Eric if it is sex with her that he is after. She puts it bluntly, and not at all seductively, which is wonderful. We learn just how unsteady Dana and Rita’s marriage is when Rita tells Dana she is going to sleep alone for the rest of the trip, that this attempt at saving their relationship wasn’t working. She again uses that moment to tell him, “I want to get rid of that hitchhiker.” Dana, now angry, refuses her that, and we get the sense he does so only because he’s hurt and is lashing out the only way he can in that moment. It’s interesting, because that decision – made rashly – is going to have some rather serious consequences for them both.

It is crazy that Kevin’s parents let him go off camping with Eric. That certainly would not happen now. But at the time this film takes place, and considering how strained their marriage is, it is believable. Eric dons a pair of gloves and says he’s going to leave Kevin alone at their camp site for an hour to go, as he says, “have some fun.” It’s an intense and creepy moment. When Kevin then beg him to be allowed to accompany him, Eric says, “You’d have to do everything I say and not ask any questions.” I love how this film slowly builds, taking us from a bright morning in suburbia to a dark place in the forest, where Kevin is now relying on this stranger for his safety, when of course it is from this very man that Kevin needs to be protected. Eric takes Kevin to a farmhouse, where he begins to smash things, and encourages Kevin to join him. And when Kevin starts to get into it, that twisted look of joy on Eric’s face is fantastic. It gets even creepier when Eric offers to let Kevin sleep with him in his sleeping bag, though there is nothing overtly sexual about it. It’s more about control. And again, Rita is no idiot. She sees the change in her son after that night.

This is a movie where you desperately wish Rita would follow her instincts and tell the stranger herself that he is no longer welcome. Why does she leave it up to Dana to do it? It is like the very thing that she is angry with him for in their marriage is the thing that she herself is perpetuating. She is upset at being treated essentially as nothing more than a housewife, that all the decisions are his. Yet, she leaves this incredibly important decision up to him. And then she allows herself, against her better judgment, to be seduced, to be comforted by Eric. And it is soon after that scene that we as viewers begin to dislike Rita, that we side more with Dana. What is truly interesting about this film is that as Eric studies and manipulates these people, we study them too, and draw our own conclusions about them. Another thing that is interesting is that there are only four characters. The film contains no other speaking parts, so the whole world is this family and the hitchhiker.

Special Features

The Blu-ray includes a feature-length documentary, The Making Of Mind Games, which – at an hour and forty-eight minutes – is actually longer than the film itself. This documentary focuses on interviews with director Bob Yari, producer Mary Apick, and cast members Maxwell Caulfield, Shawn Weatherly and Matt Norero. (The fourth cast member, Edward Albert, died in 2006.) They talk about how the project came about, the characters, the locations, and tell anecdotes about the filming and about their lives outside of this film. Shawn Weatherly talks about her experience in beauty pageants. Matt Norero mentions noticing Maxwell Caulfield’s effect on women. Maxwell Caulfield jokes fondly about not being seen as the hero by film producers and so embracing and enjoying roles as villains. Interestingly, originally cast in the role of Dana was Jeff Conaway (from Grease, Taxi), and Shawn Weatherly says she and he had no chemistry in the one scene they did together. Maxwell Caulfield says that Jeff was attempting to go cold turkey at the time. Another surprising (and sort of scary) thing that was revealed in this documentary is that in the driving shots, the actor was actually driving the RV; it wasn’t towed, as is usually done. They spend a good amount of time discussing the farmhouse scene, and the way it was shot, with Maxwell Caulfield mentioning that he cut his wrist during it. About the film’s themes, Bob Yari says, “We were trying to explore where tensions come from, how couples can become disenfranchised with each other, and how a kid plays in that dynamic.” There is no behind-the-scenes footage, but the people being interviewed are interesting enough to carry this feature.

The special features also include Portrait Of A Producer: Bob Yari, which features an interview with Bob Yari in which he discusses his life and some of the films he has produced (such as Perfect Fit, Shortcut To Happiness, Agent Cody Banks, Employee Of The Month, Laws Of Attraction, House Of D, A Love Song For Bobby Long, Crash, Chumscrubber, Thumbsucker, Matador, Hostage, The Illusionist, and Papa Hemingway In Cuba, the last of which he also directed). Interestingly, he got a degree in cinematography. It is also interesting that as a producer he focused on helping first-time directors. He was only twenty-five when Mind Games was released. This feature is approximately thirty-two minutes.

Also included is a small poster of the Blu-ray cover.

Mind Games was directed by Bob Yari, and was released on Blu-ray on February 25, 2020 through MVD Visual.

Blu-ray Review: The Point

The Point is a wonderful animated film that originally aired on ABC in 1971, featuring music written and performed by Harry Nilsson, who also provided the film’s story. It was directed and animated by Fred Wolf and featured the vocal talents of Mike Lookinland (Bobby on The Brady Bunch) as Oblio and Dustin Hoffman as his father, the narrator. Because Dustin’s contract stipulated his performance could be used only for the original airing, subsequent airings have featured three other actors in that role: Alan Barzman, Alan Thicke and Ringo Starr. The video releases have featured Ringo Starr, and such is the case with the new Blu-ray edition of the film released by MVD Visual as part of its MVD Rewind Collection. This new edition contains a whole lot of bonus material, including lots of interviews and even a small poster of the Blu-ray cover.

At the beginning of the film, a child wishes to watch his favorite television program, while his father waxes nostalgic about how children used to love to have stories read to them by their fathers. The father then chooses a book and begins to read to his son, and that story is the story we too are then told, a fable about a land where everything had points. “In fact, it was so full of points that even the people had points,” we are told. However, when Oblio is born without a point, some of the village’s people are bothered. His parents give him a pointed cap to help him look like everyone else, and that seems to work, for the child is an amiable and sweet lad. However, the son of the village’s count is rather mean to Oblio, seeming to inherit some of his father’s lesser qualities, calling him “round head” at one point, which of course calls to mind Bertolt Brecht’s play Round Heads And Pointed Heads. The count pressures the king to have Oblio banished, since Oblio by his very presence is violating the law. “Without the law, there would be no lawyers,” the King says. And so Oblio is banished to the Pointless Forest. Once he reaches the forest, he meets some interesting characters, including a multi-faced man who tells him, “A point in every direction is the same as no point at all.” And Mr. Rockman, who says: “You’ve got to open your mind as well as your eyes. But first you’ve got to get it together. You know, be cool. Dig yourself.” The three dancing women are particularly memorable.

The film’s music is – as you would expect – excellent. The song that most of us recall from our childhood is “Me And My Arrow,” the song about Oblio and his dog, his companion throughout his adventures. It was released as a single, and became a hit. However, my personal favorite is “Think About Your Troubles,” which plays as Oblio leaves home. It’s also one of my favorite sequences in the film. The animation, by the way, is absolutely delightful, with many humorous touches that have appeal for both children and adults.

Special Features

This Blu-ray contains a lot of special features, most of it not included on previous editions. Nilsson On Screen features interviews with biographer Alyn Shipton and several of Harry Nilsson’s friends, who discuss Harry’s work on various film and television projects. Perry Botkin, Jr. talks about meeting Harry and writing with him. Those interviewed also include Lee Newman, Amanda Reyes, Frank Stallone, Stanley Dorfman and Norm Lenzer. There is a bit of information on Harry’s work for The Monkees, and how a song in an episode of the television program allowed him to quit his job at the bank and focus on songwriting full time. And of course his “Daddy’s Song” is featured prominently in the Monkees’ film, Head. The biographer says: “Head is a dreadful movie.” That is just not true at all; in fact, Head is one of my favorite films. Anyway, this feature gets into the reasons behind The Point having had four different narrators, and also touches on The Courtship Of Eddie’s Father. There is surprisingly little material on his work for Popeye. Nilsson On Screen is all interviews. It contains no snippets from any of the projects being discussed, which is a shame. It is just over an hour long.

The Kid’s Got A Point is an interview with Mike Lookinland, who talks about his memories of the film (as well as things his mother has told him about it, since he was only nine years old at the time). And for you fellow Grateful Dead fans, check out the Steal Your Face behind him during the interview. This feature is approximately seventeen minutes. That Old Guy Wrote The Point is an interview with screenwriter Norm Lenzer, who talks about how he and Fred Wolf worked together. He says he didn’t like the character of the Rockman, feeling it was already out-of-date. This interview is approximately fifteen minutes. Everybody’s Got A Point is an interview with Kiefo Nilsson and Bobby Halvorson, about performing Kiefo’s father’s music. They perform “Think About Your Troubles” on piano. This special feature is approximately sixteen minutes. Making The Point is an interview with director/animator Fred Wolf, who talks about how the project came about, and also about the original writer. This is approximately thirteen minutes.

Who Is Harry Nilsson? is a short piece that hits on some of the highlights of Harry’s career, and includes interviews with Terry Gilliam, Micky Dolenz, Perry Botkin and Una Nilsson. Pitching The Point recounts the wild anecdote about how Harry Nilsson was finally able to pitch his film idea to the head of ABC. Legacy Of The Point contains interviews with Terry Gilliam (who says he loves the song “Me And My Arrow”), Annie Nilsson (who talks about “Think About Your Troubles”) and Fred Wolf (who talks about the film’s lessons of tolerance and understanding). The special features also include the original Claymation animation sequence for my favorite song, “Think About Your Troubles.”

The Point was directed by Fred Wolf, and was released on Blu-ray on February 18, 2020 through MVD Visual.

DVD Review: Stuffed

Taxidermy may be considered a peculiar subject, dismissed perhaps as an odd hobby, or viewed as something creepy. For some, the idea of taxidermy conjures images of old women living with stuffed cats; for others, it raises the specter of Norman Bates. The documentary Stuffed very quickly dispels these notions. The film establishes a light and cheerful tone, which prepares us to see the subject from a fresh perspective and appreciate it for the art that is involved.

The documentary introduces us to several specialists in the field, people who may not quite fit the image we have of a taxidermist. For example, we meet Allis Markham, a young and stylish woman with a passion for birds and her own company, Prey Taxidermy. And Travis De Villiers, who studies nature and informs us that taxidermy is a “combination of being an artist and being a naturalist.” And that is one thing that is striking about this film and the subject: these people love animals. We also meet Ferry Van Tongeren and Jaap Sinke, who create unusual and stunning artwork through taxidermy. These folks and others provide different takes on the craft, having different goals and passions. Some of the goals are even noble, as George Dante explains: “Taxidermy is a wonderful tool for archiving a species that no longer exists.”

As you might expect, there is material on the importance of taxidermy in the work of natural history museums. And the documentary contains footage showing the process, which is not really at all what I’d imagined. The film also touches a bit on the history of taxidermy, with particular attention paid to the contributions of people like Carl Akeley, an interesting character to be sure. We also get a glimpse of taxidermy competitions and seminars, and some of the work is surprisingly beautiful. Also interesting is the information on the so-called “rogue taxidermy,” art pieces using taxidermy without the usual attempt for verisimilitude. What is not addressed in the film are the people who decide to have their pets preserved. The film sticks with those who engage in taxidermy, and does not interview those who purchase or commission their work.

The taxidermists do talk about the various impressions people have of them, and, yes, one of them mentions Psycho. And, yes, some of these folks are a bit on the nutty side. Allis Markham tells us: “You have to be a special kind of obsessive-compulsive, mixed with an artist’s sensibility. That’s where you get the idea of the tortured artist, you know. Maybe you do end up like Van Gogh and cut off your ear or whatever. But, to be fair, a taxidermist, if we cut off our ear, at least we’d make something out of it.”

Special Features

The DVD contains a commentary track by director Erin Derham and cinematographer Jan Balster. They talk about the locations where they shot, and give more information on the taxidermists who took part in the film. One shot that was difficult for me to watch was the skinning of an animal early in the film, and Erin and Jan talk about how it was difficult for them to watch as well, particularly for Erin who is a vegan.

The special features also include The Making Of Stuffed, a behind-the-scenes look at the documentary, with interviews with key crew members. Director Erin Derham says: “I had no idea that I was going to make a movie about taxidermy. I wanted to make a movie about conservation and about animal lovers, because I love animals.” Interestingly, that is a big part of what the film is about. I particularly love the footage of the organization Conservation Ambassadors. The crew members talk about their own misconceptions about what taxidermists do, and about the filming of certain segments. There is also a bit of footage from the film’s premiere. This featurette is approximately sixteen minutes.

There are also two photo galleries, the first focusing on taxidermy pieces, the second on the film’s promotion. The documentary’s trailer is also included.

Stuffed was directed by Erin Derham, and was released on DVD on March 10, 2020 through Music Box Films.